Staircase Renovation

For many, the staircase is the centerpiece of the home. Most homes feature the staircase in the Foyer of the home and are the first thing anyone sees as they step through the front door.

Stairs are responsible for the first impression of the home. Renovation of this feature can seem like a costly endeavor - one in which would cause great disruption to the home for a prolonged period of time. However, this is not the case. Staircase renovation from wood spindles to iron balusters is cost effective and completed with little interruption to the home or the family.

Normally completed in one day, baluster replacement is a simple way to alter your home’s first impression, and is nothing short of transformative. The railings and stairs are kept intact, while the wood spindles are replaced with iron balusters for a dramatic and stylish change. With many design selections to choose from, the staircase will become completely unique.

The simplicity of the renovation allows for nominal disruption and creates an excellent showpiece for the home. Iron balusters are easy to maintain, clean, and typically come with a lifetime warranty – which includes installation.

The sturdy iron balusters are a great way to update your home and showcase your home right from your front door.

"To Renovate, or Not to Renovate"

“To Renovate or Not To Renovate”, that is the question.

So you want to move, or maybe you have to move and the realtor walks through your house and tells you it needs some updating. Carpets, paint, new tile or maybe even a new kitchen counter. But renovations are expensive, messy and time consuming. Updating your house to get it ready can seem like a double-edged sword. Don’t do it, and risk not selling or selling for far less than you had hoped, or do it and risk the expense and hassle - with no guarantees that the renovation will add value.

Renovating a staircase by replacing wood balusters with iron balusters is cheap, clean and fast. The dramatic results bring a house up to date and will “wow” prospective buyers. The baluster replacement process is as inexpensive as $800-$1500 (depending on the number of balusters you are replacing), and is normally completed in less than a day. While the kids are at school and you are off to work or running errands, your home can be transformed with remarkable results!

The question may not be “To Renovate or Not To Renovate”….it simply may be what to renovate. Carpet, countertops and paint can be messy and expensive. They may even go unnoticed by potential buyers. Give your home an edge in the crowded real estate market - make it “pop” with a dramatic updated staircase renovation and beautiful iron balusters.

Stair Facts

Stairs, stairs, beautiful stairs! When you love staircases as much as we do, you know quite a lot about them. Here are some interesting tips, facts, funnies, and historical trivia about stairs.

In castles with spiral stairways, turrets etc…the stairs always ascend clockwise.

In England, the Cockney dialect use the term “apples and pears” to refer to stairs – they would say “I am going down the apples and pears quickly.”

Your stairs creak because wood swells when the air is moist and shrinks when the air is dry. When you step on your stair it’s expanding and contracting as you go.

The first stairs in history were over 6000 years ago and were wooden tree trunks fitted together.

In China the first granite stairs were used as a symbol of religious power.

The grand staircase at Buckingham Palace in London has balusters made of oak and bronze casting. The stairs were designed by John Nash at the request of King George IV.

There are seventy-two steps leading to the Philadelphia Museum of Art in Philadelphia. If you don’t know why this is meaningful…think Rocky Balboa!

The longest staircase in the world can be found on the slopes of Mount Niesen on the slopes of the Swiss Alps. There are 11,674 steps in all – try that Rocky!

The Burj Dubai is scheduled to open in Dubois in December and will be the tallest building in the world. It’s twisty and windy staircases are over three and a half miles long!

Prior to the installation of stairs in the White House in 1948…people navigated between different levels using ramps, ladders, pullies and winches!

The “Spanish Steps” found in Rome Italy are named so, because they lead to the official residence of the Spanish Ambassador.

Staircase Trends

Today's design-conscious homeowners are using stairways for more than just moving between floors. Whether tucked away or a central focal point, stairways offer an array of possibilities.

Materials, design, and function make all the difference in new stairways. As a general rule, floors and stairs should match. Carpet goes with carpet, and wood goes with wood. The looks of the past and present might be the same: a sweeping oak staircase that winds luxuriously from the home foyer to a second-floor makes an elegant, yet grand statement. An L-shaped stairway made of rough-hewn timber and fabricated steel sends a more contemporary message; while a compact spiral stairway adds a touch style to a small space. But stairways are inherently practical -- and the latest trends take full advantage of stairs' potential. Form follows function with stairways.

Modern stairways look great and work harder than ever. In modest homes, that can mean using stairs -- and the dead space under each tread -- for storage. Shallow drawers can be added to maximize space. And modern styling makes them virtually undetectable. Storage can be had behind stairways in the form of a closet; in a home's foyer, the space behind stairs is also a great place to put a bench and coat hangers or a dog bed. Stairways play with light and space when storage isn't a concern. The option of open-backed stairs can be attractive, especially if you seek optimize the light in your living space. Closed-backed stairs, however, provide a level of safety and comfort that might override any design preferences, especially if you have young children or older adults in the house.

Many of us take our stairs for granted. They are just used as a way to go from one floor to the next, up and down to get where we are going inside our homes. Stairs, though, are often the first thing people notice when they enter our homes. Like other aspects of our home, stairs have a sense of fashion and style, and like many other aspects of our home; they can look dated. Remember the days of fully carpeted stairs with dark wood rails? Staircases go through different trends just like kitchen cabinets, appliances, and wallpaper. In the 1980s and 1990s, stairs were abound with dark rails and white spindles. The new century has brought about a new fashion statement for stairs - iron balusters. Used in conjunction with wood rails, replacement is easy and dramatic. The outdated white spindles are replaced with fashionable and gorgeous iron balusters. The look is updated and brilliant. Offering sleek designs in a variety of finishes, iron baluster replacement brings your stairs to life. Stairs may just be a way to get from one place to another inside your home, but having an outdated style can age your house as much as olive colored appliances can age your kitchen.